Locomotive stoker



Feb. 20, N. L W R LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed July 2. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR m Q d N. M. LOWER LOQOMOTIVE STOKER Feb. 20, 1934.

Filed July 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Feb. 20, 1934; N. M. LOWER Locomouvm STOKER 4 Sheets- Sheet 3 Filed July 2, 1928 Feb. 20, 1934. N. M. LOWER LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed July 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 HIII I ///IIl///III/// N 1/5 N TOR 2M4 Patented Feb. 20,- 1934 LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Nathan M. Lower, Bellevue, Pia, assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application July 2, 1928. Serial No. 289,774

18 Claims.

My invention relates to mechanical stokers, and especially pertains to stokers for locomotives and the like.

In the United States Letters Patent No. 1,711,-

466 granted April 30, 1929 to E. A. Turner, there is disclosed a locomotive stoker in which the fuel is fed by means of a conduit disposed beneath the floor of the tender into a riser conduit which slopes upward to the lower part of the firing opening of the fire box, a conveyor screw being disposed in such riser conduit so as to deliver the fuel easily and without material pressure or relative movement of its particles to a distributor plate within the firing opening, whereby easy feeding is obtained and breakage of the fuel into undesirably small particles is materially reduced. It is one object of my invention to improve upon stokers of this type by decreasing the necessary upward slope of the riser conduit, and, in general, to provide a stoker having a conduit device extending from the fire box of the locomotive to a position beneath the tender, in which the upward slope of such conduit device to the fire box is reduced to a minimum, thereby facilitating the feeding of fuel through such conduit device and further providing against the breakage of the fuel into undesirably small particles.

A further object of my invention is the provision in stokers of the general type specified, of power drive mechanism for said stoker, such power drive mechanism being of a compact and durable construction, rigidly secured to the locomotive frame underneath the locomotive unit of the stoker conduit and being separate and apart from said stoker conduit, thereby permitting the power drive mechanism to be easily removed for the purpose of repair and replacement.

It is another object. of my invention to provide a stoker which will be especially efllcient, and easy of control, in the matter of distributing the fuel to the various parts of the fire box.

Others of my objects, among which are to provide for easy driving of the fuel conveying device in spite of material angularity of parts thereof with respect to each other and to obtain a free flow of fuel through the conduit device in spite of bends therein, will appear from the following specification taken in connection with the claims annexed thereto.

While, without exceeding the scope thereof as defined in the appended claims, my invention may be embodied in numerous constructional forms, I have described one form thereof, by way of example, in the I following specification, and shown the same in the accompanying drawings, in

which: a

Fig. 1 is a plan of a locomotive stoker constructed in accordance with my invention, shown as applied to a locomotive, the fire box of which is indicated in section, the locomotive cab deck and the tender being omitted;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the stoker shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan, partly of the front or outlet portion of the stoker;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the rear portion of the stoker, disposed beneath the tender, the section being taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are an elevation and a plan, respecin section,

tively, of the universal joint between the fuelconveying members of the stoker; and

Fig. '7 is a section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is'a plan view of the power drive mechanism with some parts in section and other parts removed to best illustrate the construction;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the clutch drive with the cover removed showing the ratchet wheel and pawl mechanism; and

Fig. 12 is a section taken on the irregular line 1212-12 of Fig. 8.

The form of stoker herein chosen for description and illustration comprises a tender conduit, the rear portion, 2A, of which is trough shaped and is disposed beneath the fuel hopper 10 of the tender. The conduit is mounted so as to be capable of sliding longitudinally with respect to the tender, as by securing the conduit to a slide 23 (Fig. 4) movably mounted in a longitudinal guideway 10A secured to the tender frame.

The front end 2E of the tender conduit is enlarged, at 2D, and is formed, beyond such enlargement, so as to produce the ball member 20 of a hollow ball and socket joint. The ball member 20 enters a corresponding socket portion 8 formed at the rear end of a riser conduit 3, a removable cap .38 being associated with the socket portion 8 to complete, with the latter and the ball portion section taken on line 1010 of I 2C, a ball and socket connection between the tender conduit and the riser conduit 3.

The front end of the riser conduit 3 is formed with flanged portions 28 by means of which it is secured to a box-shaped casting 31 which is attached by means of a flange 31A to the back head of the locomotive fire box 1 at the lower part of the firing opening 2 of the latter. In this manner, the box-shaped casting 31 and the riser conduit 3 form, in effect, a single continuous feed conduit. The lower part of the casting 31 is open, and has secured therein, by means of cap screws 29, a second casting 32. This second casting 32 is formed with aflat portion constituting a delivery table 22 which is in alignment with the riser conduit 3,

and constitutes a continuation of the lower part and so disposed, that the delivery table 22 extends materially within the inside face of the back head of the fire box.

The casting 32 is stepped down, at the front end of the delivery table 22, so as to provide a jet head 6, and is formed beyond such jet head with a shelf constituting a distributor plate 5. The casting is cored out so as to provide right and left hand steam chambers 23 and 23A from which jet openings 6A in the jet head 6 open. The chambers. 23 and 23A, through their extensions or passages 24, 24A which open laterally as at the threaded opening 24B, with steam pipes not shown, but which should be provided communicate with suitable control valves, so that steam can be admitted to the jets on either side of the jet head 6 to a greater or lesser amount, thereby determining the extent to which fuel will be fed to one side of the fire box or the other. That portion of the delivery table 22 within the firing opening 2 of the furnace is of greater width than the portion thereof disposed in the casting 31 to permit the fuel to spread laterally before passing over the jet head 6.

f A fuel conveyor screw '7 is rotatably mounted in the tender conduit, and is driven, from its rear end, through gearing 7A by means of a flexible shaft '73 connected by a telescopic and universal joint with a power drive mechanism 40 which will be hereinafter described in detail. The tender conveyor screw 7 is connected, by means of a universal joint, with a second conveyor screw 4 which is rotatably mounted in the riser conduit 3 and extends beyond the front end of the latter into the casting 31 soas to enter the firing opening 2.

The power drive mechanism 40 comprises a motor of the single cylinder type, the cylinder 70 of which houses a piston 15 which is reciprocable therein to operate a piston rod 71. Secured to the piston rod '71 is a rack gear 41 which is mounted to reciprocate in a housing 40a. At a point remote from the cylinder 70, the housing 40a is apertured and a gear 42 is disposed in the apertured portion and is engaged by the rack gear 41. A cover casting 49 is secured to the top portion of the rack housing 40a to form a closure for the rearward side of said housing which is open'to permit machining thereof. A portion of. this cover casting 49 also fits over the gear 42 and forms a portion of a bearing '72 for the shaft 61 on which the gear 42 is mounted. A second cover casting 60 is placed over the gear 42 and the shaft 61 and is bolted securely to the first named cover casting 49 and forms therewith a casing for the gear 42 and the other portion of the bearing '72 for the shaft 61.

The shaft 61 extends rearwardly of the gear 42 toward the tender and lies transversely .to the rack gear 41. On the rearward portion of the shaft 61 a ratchet wheel 43 is mounted and is engaged by pawls such as 44 carried by the pawl casing 45. As the rack gear 41 reciprocate's in the housing 40a, the'gear 42 rotates first in one direction and then in another direction. Mo-

tion is transmitted to the pawl casing 45 during one stroke of the piston 15, while during the other stroke, the pawl casing idles. The direction of rotation of the pawl casing 45 is determined versal joint '74 for driving. the flexible shaft 7b. The power drive mechanism 40 passes underneath the riser conduit 3 transversely to the locomotive and is rigidly secured to the frame F by suitable bolts passing through the flanges 48 and 56 of the housing 40a and the cover casting 49 respectively. The power drive mechanism is not secured to the riser conduit 3 in any manner and thus whenever it is necessary to overhaul or repair the drive mechanism, it is only necessary to loosen the bolts which hold the drive mechanism to the frame F. Such a construction greatly expedites repair work and is of great benefit to the railroads in properly maintaining the stoker in a good state of repair.-

The fuel, previously broken up into lumps of convenient size by means of a suitable crushing device such as that indicated at 20 (Fig. 2), is fed by the conveyor screw '7 through the tender conduit to the rear end of the riser conduit 3, wherefrom it is picked up by the conveyor screw 4 and carried through the riser conduit 3 to the delivery table 22. When the fuel arrives upon the delivery table 22 it spreads sidewise into a relatively fiat stream and flows over the jet head 6 and onto the distributor plate 5. The steam issuing from the jet openings 6A impels the fuel forward into the fire box so as to distribute it evenly over the bed of fuel in the latter.

By locating the distributor plate 5 at a suitable vertical position in the fire box, I am enabled to' obtain a proper spreading of the fuel in the latter. At the same time, by placing the distributor plate substantially within the fire box, and sloping the delivery table 22 downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, the height, above the cab deck, of the joint between the riser conduit 3 and the casting 31 is lessened, and I thus accomplish a reduction of the upward slope of the riser conduit. In this way I have made it possible to mount the riser conduit in a position in which it is more nearly horizontal than could otherwise be the case. This permits an easier feeding of the fuel and lessens the relative movement of the particles thereof, as well as the pressure to which such particles are subjected, thereby improving the operation of the stoker, and reducing the tendency of the feeding action to break up the fuel into undesirably small particles. vMoreover, the riser conduit passes through the cab deck at a point nearer the front of the latter, thus leaving more fioor space available at the back of the cab deck. At the same time, the low level of the front end of the riser conduit makes for specially convenienthand-firing, it being remembered that the fireman, when firing by hand, must shovel the fuel over the riser conduit. Another advantage of the construction is that by providing the extended upwardly sloping delivery table, the useof a conveyor screw which reaches well into the firing opening is facilitated, so that the fuel can readily be moved bodily to a position wherefrom it falls naturally onto the distributor plate. 4

The universal joint for connecting the'conveyor screws 7 and 4 is shown in Figs. 0 to 7. The screws 7 and 4 are forked at their ends to receive pins 34. and 35 respectively. Upon these pins are mounted blocks which in turn are pivoted between a pair of link members 36 and 36A adapted 'to be connected together by means of a bolt 69. The member 364 is formed. with a tongue 37 which enters a corresponding groove of the member 36, thereby to prevent twisting of one of the link members with respect to the other. The universal joint, as thus constructed, permits an easy driving of the screw 4 from the screw 7, in spite of the angularity between the screws, which may necessarily be increased in applying the stoker to locomotives in which the firing opening is located at a higher level than is here illustrated.

As has been stated, the front end of thethe tender conduit and the riser conduit 3, in"

spite of the extra-space taken up by the rotating universal joint.

In order to control, with special ease and accuracy, the distribution of the fuel in the fire box, I provide a pair of guide wings or deflector vanes 25, one of which is pivoted to the casting 31 at each side of the outlet opening of the latter. The position of the wings 25 can be adjusted by means of hand wheels which are screwed upon stems 30A pivoted to the deflector vanes. As stated, the fuel is fed forwardly on the delivery table 22 in relatively flat form. By suitable manipulation of the wheels 30, the stream of fuel can be made to flow onto the distributor plate 5 either substantially over the center of the latter or to a greater or lesser extent over the sides as well as the center. Or the fuel can be made to flow onto the distributor plate 5 more to one side of the latter than to the other. By this means, as well as by the adjustment of the amount of steam supplied to the chambers 23 and 23A, the fuel can be distributed properly in the fire box in accordance with such different con ditions as may obtain from time to time.

The delivery table and distributor plate are cooled to a large extent by the steam in the relatively large steam chambers 23, 23A. In order to provide further means for cooling the casting 32, the latter is disposed so as to provide a passage 273 between its lower part and the bottom side of the firing opening2, and is formed with a hollow downward extension 27A, the interior of which is open to the atmosphere and communicates with the passage 273. Air is induced through the passage 273 by the draft from the stack, and impinges against the casting 32 to prevent overheating of the lower part thereof,

including the distributor plate 5. When the stack draft is cut off, the extension 27A has a chimney effect, so that air continues to be drawn past the lower part of the casting 32 and smoke does not emerge into the cab. Jets 27, for assisting in in-' ducing air through the passage 27B, particularly when the stack draft is cut off,-are formed in the casting 32 at the rear of the passage 273.

In order to cool the-front end of the conveyor screw 4, as well as to provide means pemiitting inspection of the interior of the outlet end of the stoker, the casting 31 is formed with a plurality of slotted openings in the upper part thereof, a slide 66 being provided for varying the 1 size of the openings, or closing them if desired.

In order, also, to cool the guide wings 25, the flange 31A of the casting 31 is formed with air openings 67 through which air is drawn so as to impinge against the wings 25 and cool the latter;

The stoker of my invention is amaterial improvement over previous constructions in that it permits the fuel to be fed from beneath the tender up to and into the firing opening with a minimum of upward slope of the conduit device. Because of this, the fuel is moved easily, with a minimum of pressure between the particles thereof and with a minimum of relative movement of such particles. In this way the proportion of dust and fine particles, produced by abrasion in the fuel during the feeding thereof, is greatly reduced, and a very smooth and efficient feeding action is obtained. Another important advantage is that iii! the distribution of the fuel in the fire box is ex- It is to be noted that a modification of my in.-

vention as originally presented herein is claimed in my Letters Patent No. 1,889,410, granted November 29, 1932 on an application filed October 5, 1929, Serial No. 397,681 as a division of the present application; and further that the improved conveyor organization and the improved drive organization of the embodiment of my invention described herein and disclosed by the drawings herewith have been made the subject matter respectively of divisional applications Serial No. 703,763 filed December 23, 1933 and Serial N0. 703,198 filed December 20, 1933.

I claim:

1. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position withits upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace to the upstanding wall thereof andthe bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of its upstanding wall to form an opening included between the side walls, and a chambered table mounted in said last named opening lying in the same inclined plane as the upper end portion of said bottom wall forming a continuation thereof and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast for projecting fuel forwardly into the furnace, said upper end portion of said bottom wall and the fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in a straight line in the medial vertical plane of the conduit, said line extending from a point adjacent the lower end of the conduit to the said forward face of the chambered table. 1

' 2. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position withits upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace to the up standing wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short. of its upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, and a chambered table mounted in said last named opening lying in the same inclined plane as the upper end portion of said bottom wall forming a continuation thereof and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast for projecting fuel forwardly into the furnace, said upper end portion of said bottom wall and the fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in a straight line in the medial vertical plane of the conduit, said line extending from a point adjacent the lower end of the conduit to the said forward face of the chambered table and means holding said table in the aforesaid position in the conduit. I

3. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace. to the upstanding wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of its upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, and a chambered table mounted in said last named opening lying in the same inclined plane as the upper end portion of said bottom wall forming a continuation thereof and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with respect to the'furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast for projecting fuel forwardly into the furnace, said upper end portion of said bottom wall and the fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in a straight line in the medial vertical plane of the conduit,

' said line extending from a point adjacent the lower end of the conduit to the said forward face of the chambered table and a screw conveyor in said conduit the delivery end of which screw terminates over and above said chambered table.

4. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening the sidewalls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace to the upstanding wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of its upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, and a chambered table mounted in said last named opening lying in the same inclined plane as the upper end portion of said bottom wall forming a continuation thereof and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardtical plane of the conduit, said line extending from a point adjacent the lower end of the conduit to the said forward face of the chambered table, means holding said table in the aforesaid position in the conduit and a screw conveyor in said conduit the delivery end of which screw terminates over and above said chambered table.

5. In combination, a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker feed conduit having its discharge end communicating with said firebox through said opening, means for advancing fuel through said conduit, a fuel distributor adjacent the discharge end of the conduit having a face provided with a plurality of jet openings and including a distributor plate extending forward from said face below said jet openings, and a pair of independently operable deflector vanes positioned wholly rearward of said face and being oppositely disposed and pivotally mo nted one at each side of the conduit on a su stantially vertical axis, said deflector vanes forming an expansible and contractible mouth for said conduit.

.6. In combination, a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker feed conduit having its discharge end communicating with said firebox through said opening, means for advancing fuel through said conduit, a fuel distributor adjacent the discharge end of the conduit having a face provided with a plurality of jet openings and including a distributor plate extending forward from said face below said jet openings, and a pair of independently operable deflector vanes positioned wholly rearward of said face and being oppositely disposed and having an end of each pivotally mounted at each side of the conduit on substantially vertical axes, said deflector vanes forming an expansible and contractible mouth for said conduit.

'7. In combination, a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker feed conduit having its discharge end communicating with said firebox through said opening, means for advancing fuel through said conduit, a fuel distributor adjacent the discharge end of the conduit having a face provided with a plurality of jet openings and including a distributor plate extending forward from said face below said jet openings, and a pair of pivotally mounted independently operable deflector vanes positioned wholly rearward of said face and being oppositely disposed one at each side of the conduit forming an expansible and contractible mouth therefor.

8. In combination, a firebox having a wall with an opening therein, a stoker feed conduit having its discharge end communicating with said firebox through said opening, means for advancing fuel through-said conduit, a fuel distributor adjacent the discharge end of the conduit having a face provided with a plurality of jet openings for discharging a pressure fluid fuel propelling blast and including a distributor plate extending forward from said face below said jet openings, and a pair of independently operable deflector vanes pivotally mounted on upstanding axes disposed rearward of said face and being oppositely 1 ,1 disposed one at each side of the conduit forming an expansible and contractible discharge mouth therefor and acting on the fuel prior to the ac- 'tion thereon of the pressure fluid blasts dis- 1,947,728 tributor. adjacent the discharge end of the conduit having a face provided with a plurality of jet openings for discharging a pressure fluid fuel propelling blast and including a distributor plate extending forward from said face below said iet openings, and a pair of independently operable upstanding deflector vanes oppositely disposed one at each side of thedischarge end of the conduit forming an expansible and contractible discharge mouth therefor and acting on the fuel prior to the action thereon of the pressure fluid blasts discharged from the jet openings of said ace..

10. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted'in an inclined position with its upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace to the upstanding wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of said upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, and a chambered table removably mounted in said last named opening constituting a continuation of said bottom wall and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast for projecting fuel into the furnace, the upper end portion of said bottom wall of the conduit and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in approximately the same inclined plane considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit.

11. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace to the upstanding wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of said upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, and a chambered table removably mounted in said last named opening constituting a continuation of saidbottom wall and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with'respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall. said table-includinga forward face forming a jet head thereof and having jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast for projecting fuel into the furnace, the upper end portion of said .bottom wall of the conduit and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in approximately the same inclined plane considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit and that portion of the chambered table positioned in said firing opening of the furnace being of greater width than that portion disposed in the opening included between the side walls of the conduit.

12. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its upper end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, the side walls of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace for projecting the fuel into the furnace, the upper to the upstanding wall thereof and the bottom wall of the conduit extending upwardly toward the furnace but terminating short of said upstanding wall to form an opening included between the sidewalls, a chambered table removably mounted in said last named opening constituting a continuation of said bottom wall and extending from such wall upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a. jet head thereof and having radially directed ,jet openings therein for'discharglng a pressure fluid blast constituting the sole means end portion of said bottom wall of the conduit and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in approximately the same inclined plane considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit and that portion of the chambered table positioned in said firing opening of the furnace being of greater width than that portion disposed in the opening included between the side walls of the conduit, and a screw conveyor in said conduit'the delivery end of which screw terminates over and above said chambered table.

13. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its delivery end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, and a chambered table removably mounted in said delivery end portion constituting an inclined floor therefor forming a continuation of the bottom of that portion of the conduit rearward of saiddelivery end and extending from said bottomupwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having radially directed jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast constituting the primary means for propelling the fuel over the firebed of the furnace, the upper end portion of said bottom and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table lying in approximately the same inclined plane considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit.

14. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its delivery end positioned adiacent to and communicating with said firing opening, and a chambered table removably mounted in said delivery end portion constituting an inclined floor therefor forming a continuation of the bottom of that portion of the conduit rearward of said delivery end and extending from said bottom upwardly and inwardly with respect to the'furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having radially directed jet openings therein for dischrglng a rod pressure fluid blast constituting the primary upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its delivery end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, a chambered table removably mounted in said delivery end portion constituting an inclined floor therefor forming a continuation of the bottom of that portion of the conduit rearward of said delivery end and extending from said bottom upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having radially directed jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast constituting the primary means for propelling the fuel over the firebed of the furnace, the upper end portion of said bottom and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table being disposed at approximately the same angle with the horizontal considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit, and that portion of the chambered table positioned in said firing opening of the furnace being of greater width than that portion disposed in said delivery end portion of the conduit.

16. The combination in a furnace having an upstanding wall with a firing opening therethrough, of a stoker conduit outside the furnace mounted in an inclined position with its delivery end positioned adjacent to and communicating with said firing opening, a chambered table removably mounted in said delivery end portion constituting an inclined floor therefor forming a continuation of the bottom of that portion of the conduit rearward of said delivery end and extending from said bottom upwardly and inwardly with respect to the furnace to a point beyond the outside surface of the upstanding furnace wall, said table including a forward face forming a jet head thereof and having radially directed jet openings therein for discharging a pressure fluid blast constituting the primary means for propelling the fuel over the flrebed of the furnace, the upper end portion of said bottom and the adjacent fuel receiving surface of said chambered table being disposed at approximately the same angle with the horizontal considered along the medial vertical plane of the conduit and that portion of the chambered table positioned in said firing opening of the furnace being of greater width than that portion disposed in said delivery end portion of the conduit, and a screw conveyor in said conduit the delivery end of which screw terminates over and above said chambered table.

1'7. As a new article of manufacture, a distributor member including an approximately fiat wall the upper surface of which constitutes a fuel receiving table, a wall extending downwardly from and transversely of said approximately fiat wall at one end thereof and forming an acute angle therewith, a plurality of walls arranged on the underside of said approximately flat wall and positioned between it and said transverse wall to define a plurality of chambers extending from said transverse wall toward the opposite end of said approximately flat wall, said transverse wall having a plurality of radially directed jet openings therein communicating with said chambers, and each of said chambers opening laterally with respect to the jet openings at the end portion of the approximately flat wall opposite to the transverse wall and intermediate the ends of said flat wall. r

18. As a new article of manufacture, a distributor member including an approximately flat wall of greater width at one end portion than at the opposite end portion, the upper surface of said wall constituting a fuel receiving table, a wall extending downwardly from and transversely of said approximately fiat wall at the wide end thereof and forming an acute angle therewith, a plurality of walls arranged on the underside of said approximately flat wall and positioned between it and said transverse wall to define a plurality of chambers extending from the narrow end portion of said approximately flat wall to said transverse wall, the latter having a plurality of radially directed jet openings therein communicating with said chambers and each of said chambers opening laterally with respect to the jet openings at said narrow end portion of the approximately flat wall intermediate the ends thereof.

NATHAN M. LOWER. 

